NUTRIENT

PROCUREMENT
AND PROCESSING
CALORIE
- is a unit of energy that indicates the amount
of energy contained in food
-It specifically refers to the amount of heat
energy required to raise the temperature of 1
kg (2.2 lb.) of water by 1oC (1.8oF)
-The greater the number of in a
quantity of food, the greater energy it contains
(Johnson and Raven, 1996)
NUTRITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS
1. CARBOHYDRATES
- it is the major energy source of the cells in the
body and also important for energy storage
- contain 4 Calories per gram.
2. PROTEINS
- provide structural support for tissues, act as
chemical messengers, and move muscles
- contain 4 Calories per gram
NUTRITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS
3. FATS
-also called triglycerides can be solid or liquid at
room temperature. Those that are solid are
classified as fats, while those that are liquid are
known as oils.
-used to build cell membranes, steroid hormones,
and other cellular structures
-contain 9 Calories per gram
NUTRITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS
4. ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS- nutrient required for
normal animal body functioning that can not be
synthesized by the body
a. ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS- needed for
synthesis of proteins and enzymes; among the
20 amino acids, eight could not be synthesized
by humans: lysine, tryptophan, threonine,
methionine, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine
and valine
b. ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS- used for making
special membrane lipids and the proper
development of brain. E.g. Linoleic acid
NUTRITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS
c. VITAMINS- organic molecules required
in small amounts for normal metabolism

d. MINERALS- inorganic nutrients

needed by the body in minute amounts; these
form part of enzymes, body tissues, and body
fluids.
FOOD UPTAKE IN CELLS

Endocytosis
the process of
capturing a
substance or particle
from outside the cell
by engulfing it with
the cell membrane,
and bringing it into
the cell.
FOOD UPTAKE IN CELLS
3 TYPES OF
ENDOCYTOSIS:

1. PHAGOCYTOSIS-
ingestion of large
particles such as cell
debris and whole
microorganisms by
means of large
vesicles
FOOD UPTAKE IN CELLS

3 TYPES OF
ENDOCYTOSIS:

2. PINOCYTOSIS-
internalization of
extracellular fluid and
small macromolecules
by means of small
vesicles
 FOOD UPTAKE IN CELLS
3 TYPES OF
ENDOCYTOSIS:

3. RECEPTOR-MEDIATED-
when the uptake of
substances by the cell is
targeted to a single type of
substance that binds to the
receptor on the external
surface of the cell
membrane
FEEDING MECHANISMS
FEEDING MECHANISMS
1. SUSPENSION / FILTER
FEEDING – animals
which draw in water and
strain small organisms
and food particles
present in the medium
FEEDING MECHANISMS
2. FLUID FEEDING-
organisms suck
nutrient-rich fluid
from a living host
FEEDING MECHANISMS
3. SUBSTRATE FEEDING-
animals live in or on their
food source

4. BULK FEEDING- animals

eat relatively large pieces
of food
DIGESTION
-breakdown of large, complex
molecules/structures into smaller, simpler ones
-can be mechanical or chemical
-occurs in specialized compartments
MAIN STAGES OF FOOD
PROCESSING
A. Ingestion – the act of eating or feeding; this
is coupled with the mechanical breakdown of
food into smaller pieces allowing for a greater
surface area for chemical digestion.
B. Digestion – breakdown of food into
particles, then into nutrient molecules small
enough to be chemical digestion by enzymes
involves breaking of chemical bonds through
the addition of water, i.e., enzymatic
hydrolysis.
C. Absorption – passage of digested
nutrients and fluid across the tube wall and
into the body fluids; the cells take up
(absorb) small molecules such as amino
acids and simple sugars.
D. Elimination –expulsion of the undigested
and unabsorbed materials from the end of
the gut.
 ORGANS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
I. Oral Cavity – it is where food is initially chewed into shreds by
the teeth, and mixed with saliva by the tongue. Saliva is secreted
into the mouth by three pairs of salivary glands located above the
upper jaw and below the lower jaw.
II. Pharynx –the region in the back of the throat that serves as the
entrance to the esophagus that connects to the stomach and
trachea (windpipe) that serves as airway to the lungs. To block
breathing as food leaves the pharynx, a flap-like valve (the
epiglottis) and the vocal cords close off the trachea.
III. Esophagus – connects the pharynx with the stomach. No
digestion takes place within the esophagus but the contractions
within its muscular wall propel the food past a sphincter, into the
stomach. The rhythmic waves of contraction of the smooth muscle
wall of the esophagus are called peristaltic contractions or
peristalsis. The esophagus is about 25 cm (10 in.) long.
Stomach
I. It is a muscular, stretchable sac located just below
the diaphragm.
3 important functions:
1. it mixes and stores ingested food
2. it secretes gastric juice that helps dissolve
and degrade the food, particularly proteins.
3. it regulates the passage of food into the
small intestine.
II. The gastric juice is a combination of HCl and acid-
stable proteases.
III. The churning action of the stomach together with
the potent acidity of the gastric juice convert food into
a thick, liquid mixture called chyme.
Small Intestine
- is approximately 6 meters long and is
composed of three regions: the duodenum,
jejunum, and ileum.
-It is where most enzymatic hydrolysis of
the macromolecules from food occurs. The
complete digestion of carbohydrates, fats, and
proteins occurs in the duodenum, about the first
25 cm. of the small intestine. The rest of the
small intestine is devoted to absorbing water
and the products of digestion into the
bloodstream. Absorption of the end products of
digestion takes place in the ileum, the surface
area of which is increased by villi and microvilli.
 ACCESSORY
DIGESTIVE ORGANS
1. liver – secretes bile for emulsifying fats
2. gallbladder – stores bile produced by the liver
3. pancreas – secretes enzymes that break down
all major food molecules; secretes buffers
against HCl from the stomach; secretes the
hormone insulin for control of glucose
metabolism
Large intestine
- is much shorter than the small intestine,
about 1 meter. It concentrates and stores
undigested matter by absorbing mineral ions and
water. A small amount of fluid, sodium, and vitamin
K are absorbed through its walls.
- Unlike the small intestine, it does not coil up and
does not have villi and has only one- thirtieth of the
absorptive surface area of the small intestine.
Many bacteria live and thrive within the large
intestine where they help process undigested
material into the final excretory product, feces
Rectum and Anus
-The rectum is a short extension of the large
intestine and is the final segment of the digestive
tract. It is where the compacted undigested food
from the colon are pushed via peristaltic
contractions. The distension of the rectum triggers
expulsion of feces.
-The anus is the terminal opening of the
digestive system through which feces are expelled.
Mechanisms of Digestion and Absorption:
A. Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth but could not continue
in the stomach due to the acidic pH that destroys the amylase. It
resumes in the small intestine where the resulting monosaccharides
are absorbed.
B. Proteins are digested in the stomach and small intestine. Resulting
amino acids are absorbed in the small intestine where they leave the
intestinal cell and enter the blood through a facilitated diffusion carrier
in the plasma membranes on the opposite side.
C. Fat digestion occurs entirely in the small intestine. Although fatty
acids and monoglycerides enter epithelial cells from the intestinal
lumen, it is triglycerides that are released on the other side of the cell
and carried by blood capillaries to be transported throughout the
body.
D. Most water-soluble vitamins are absorbed by diffusion or active
transport. Fat-soluble vitamins follow the pathway for fat absorption.
PLANT NUTRITION
Study of chemical elements and
compounds necessary for plant
growth, plant metabolism and
external supply.
NUTRIENT
• a substance that provides nourishment essential for
growth and the maintenance of life.

• a chemical or food that provides what is needed for plants

or animals to live and grow
2 TYPES OF ORGANISMS
( BASED ON MODE OF NUTRITION)
• Autotroph – an organism that produces
complex organic compounds from simple
inorganic molecules, using energy from
light or inorganic chemical reactions
• Heterotroph – an organism that
obtains energy by breaking down
organic molecules; cannot derive
energy from photosynthesis or
inorganic chemicals
 2 WAYS OF ACQUIRING NUTRIENTS
• Photosynthesis
(through the
leaves)
• process by which
plants manufacture
carbohydrates from
raw materials using
energy from light
• Takes Carbon
through stomata
(Cellular Respiration)
• From the soil
(through the roots)
• Soil is composed of minerals,
organic matter, water, air, and
organisms
• Soil is full of microorganisms
that break down and recycle
organic debris
NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENT
OF PLANTS

• Plants require 9 macronutrients

and 7 micronutrients
•Macronutrients – used by plant in large
quantities (N,P,K C, H, O, Ca, Mg, S)
•Micronutrients – used by plant in trace
amounts (Fe, B, Mn, Mo, Cl, Cu, Zn)
MACRONUTRIENTS
(DERIVED FROM AIR)
Carbon
• forms the backbone of most plant biomolecules,
including proteins, starches and cellulose
Hydrogen
• necessary for building sugars and building the plant.
Oxygen
• aerobic cellular respiration and break down this
glucose to produce ATP.
MACRONUTRIENTS
(PRIMARY- 3)
NITROGEN
• needed for vegetative growth and dark
green color
• necessary for formation of amino acids,
the building blocks of protein (in the form
of Ammonia and Nitrate)
Deficiency signs –
reduced growth &
yellowing of lower
leaves.

Yellowing is called
Chlorosis
 PHOSPHORUS
• Involved in sugar metabolism, component of
nucleic acids, phospholipids, coenzymes
• Promotes early root formation and growth
• Improves quality of fruits, vegetables, and
grains
• Vital to seed formation
• Deficiency signs-
reduced growth,
poor root
systems, reduced
flowering. Also
thin stems and
browning or
purpling of
foliage.
 POTASSIUM
· Enzyme activator, involved in starch
formation
· regulates osmotic balance and movement
of guard cells
· Improves quality of seeds and fruit
· Increases disease resistance
Deficiency signs –
reduced growth,
shortened internodes
and some burn,
scorched marks
(brown leaves).
• Too Much (K ) – can
cause nitrogen
deficiency.
MACRONUTRIENTS
(SECONDARY)
 CALCIUM
· major component of cell wall
· Involved in nitrogen metabolism
· Reduces plant respiration
· Aids translocation of photosynthesis from leaves to
fruiting organs (2nd messenger)
MAGNESIUM
· Key element of chlorophyll production
· Improves utilization and mobility of phosphorus
· Activator and component of many plant
enzymes
· Directly related to grass tetany
 SULFUR
· Integral part of amino acids
· Helps develop enzymes and vitamins
· Promotes nodule formation on legumes
· Aids in seed production
 MICRONUTRIENTS
Iron (Fe) Essential to chlorophyll production. Also contributes to the
formation of some enzymes and amino acids.
Boron (B) Essential to overall plant health and tissue growth. Promotes
the formation of fruit and the absorption of water.
Manganese Activator of enzymes; involved in electron transfer,
(Mn) chlorophyll synthesis, and the photosynthetic evolution of
O2
Molybdenum Involved in nitrogen reduction
(Mo)

Chlorine (Cl) Stimulates photosynthesis.

Copper (Cu) Activates various enzymes. Also plays a role in chlorophyll
production.
Zinc (Zn) Activates many enzymes; involved in the formation of pollen.
NUTRITIONAL
ADAPTATION BY PLANTS
NITROGEN FIXATION: ROOT AND
BACTERIA INTERACTIONS
• Soil bacteria, collectively called rhizobia,
symbiotically interact with legume roots to form
specialized structures called nodules, in which
nitrogen fixation takes place
• rhizobia require a plant host as they cannot fix
nitrogen independently
MYCORRHIZAE: THE SYMBIOTIC
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FUNGI AND
ROOTS
• Through mycorrhization, the plant obtains mainly
phosphate and other minerals, such as zinc and copper,
from the soil
• Mycorrhizae functions as a physical barrier to pathogens.
• It also provides an induction of generalized host defense
mechanisms, and sometimes involves production of
antibiotic compounds by the fungi.
PLANT PARASITES
• A parasitic plant depends on its host for survival.
Some parasitic plants have no leaves.
• Hemiparasite- are fully photosynthetic and only use
the host for water and minerals.
• Holoparasite- is completely dependent on its host
• Obligate parasite – a parasite that cannot complete
its life cycle without a host.
• Facultative parasite – a parasite that can complete
its life cycle independent of a host.
EX.
 SAPROPHYTES
• plants that do not have chlorophyll and get
their food from dead matter, similar to
bacteria and fungi
SYMBIONTS
• a plant in a symbiotic relationship, with special adaptations
such as mycorrhizae or nodule formation. Fungi also form
symbiotic associations with cyanobacteria and green algae
(called lichens).
EPIPHYTES
• An epiphyte is a plant that grows on other
plants, but is not dependent upon the other
plant for nutrition.
• Epiphytes have two types of roots: clinging
aerial roots, which absorb nutrients from
humus that accumulates in the crevices of
trees; and aerial roots, which absorb
moisture from the atmosphere.
INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS
• An insectivorous plant has specialized
leaves to attract and digest insects. The
Venus flytrap is popularly known for its
insectivorous mode of nutrition, and has
leaves that work as traps